Mendocino Farms is among the brands preparing for a delivery-by-drone future.
The Los Angeles-based sandwich chain will be adding Zipline service docks to a few select restaurants, which will allow team members to load the delivery drones without leaving their station.
The San Francisco-based Zipline, which announced the news on Tuesday, is building a system of next-generation delivery drones designed to fly at about 300 feet and very quietly. They arrive at their destination and hover, while a smaller delivery droid pops out and maneuvers down a tether to drop the package of food on a patio or front steps of a home.
The actual drone delivery, however, is not expected to begin for Mendocino Farms until 2025.
The first step is building the docks for loading the drones. Zipline plans to integrate its service with Mendocino Farms’ existing ordering channels and POS system.
Zipline says the system is designed to deliver within about 10 minutes (within 10 miles), and drones emit 97% fewer emissions than delivery by car. It’s not clear, however, how much the delivery service will cost guests.
“There’s a lot of work that happens between when a guest orders their food and when they take that first delicious bite,” said Kevin Miles, CEO of Mendocino Farms, in a statement. “By working with Zipline, we’re making it faster and more convenient to Eat Happy wherever you are.”
Mendocino Farms is among several restaurant chains that are dabbling in drone delivery. Sweetgreen is also working with Zipline, as is Pagliacci Pizza. Zipline is among a handful of companies that have FAA approval for commercial delivery.
Another is Flytrex, which is working with Chili’s to test drone delivery in Texas.
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